Beauty and the Geek: The season finished off in such a way that, alas, made us miss last season. In the past, the beauties and geeks visited each other's hometowns, and they got to see their partners in their native habitat. David took his beauty, Jasmine, LARPing in the Public Garden, while Nicole showed off her singing skills to Sam in Somerville. Instead, the producers went for some cheap drama by bringing back all the......

Beauty and the Geek: The geeks were presented with a special challenge--making over a model. Sweater Vest Tommy heard the word "model" and said in confessional that he thought it would be "Amber Amber Amber Amber ..." He cannot get the model who led him into the closet off his mind. This makes us wonder--exactly what happened in that closet? But who knows with Sweater Vest Tommy? As his partner, Amanda, said, "I feel like......

--Beauty and the Geek: Enjoy this season of "Beauty and the Geek" because it will probably be the last one. Ratings for the show have plummeted, and the show is going on hiatus in case the CW can think of a way to jazz it up. Now what will MIT and Harvard students do for kicks? Our local geeks are trying to go out on a high note. This week, when the teams went up......

Beauty and the Geek: When we first saw Jim from Bedford, he reminded us of a Furby because of his beard. And we demanded that he get a makeover because we wanted to see what was beneath the hair. Well, the CW granted Jim his--and our--wish about getting a makeover. Even though Jim and his partner, Tiffany, were booted before the makeover episode, the CW knew they had a good thing when they saw it,......

Beauty and the Geek: This week, we were surprised that the geeks didn't just toss one of the beauties into the pool and wreck their hair. If they weren't shouting up a storm (Randi) or having problems with basic multiplication tables (Cara), they were squealing about getting dirty (all of 'em). One of the geeks spat toward a beauty. Even though the loogie didn't land on her, Bostonist is proud to say that the behavior......

Beauty and the Geek: This week may have marked the saddest "Beauty and the Geek" episode ever to air. In the episode, the beauties and geeks finally split into pairs. MIT Chris was with helium-voiced Cara, Sweater Vest Tommy was with a blonde who looked like every other blonde in LA, and Jim was with a self-proclaimed tough gal named Tiffany. No one noted the irony. Jim's partner immediately began the task of making him......

Beauty and the Geek: In the beginning, poor Sweater Vest Tommy was disappointed that the model who was hitting on him didn't walk through that door. But he proclaimed that he would indeed date her after the show. Hang on to that dream, pal! Then the beauties and geeks launched into a flag football challenge. Beforehand, the geeks and beauties had to trade one team member. Playboy model Jillian, who keeps having to pull her......

Beauty & the Geek: The three Massachusetts geeks have very different personalities. Sweater Vest Tommy is discovering his inner babe, Jim just wants to be loved, and Chris is not putting up with any drama--ever, ever, ever. (That alone makes us wonder why he's on the show.) Poor Sweater Vest Tommy came thisclose to getting laid. The conniving Amber wanted to woo her way out of the elimination room. She declared, "One day Tom's going......

Beauty and the Geek: The new cycle debuted this week with a twist. This time, the beauties are competing against the geeks. The twist makes the show less exciting because the whole point is for beauties and geeks to learn from each other, not fight each other. Plus, aside from a few exceptions, the geeks seem relatively normal. Chris from MIT and Tommy, the sweater enthusiast from Somerville, seem kind of normal. Luckily, Jim from......

America's Next Top Model: The aspiring models received their makeovers this week. Given the fact that Fatima had fuzzy, orangey hairdo, she seemed to be toward the front of the line for a head shaving. However, they decided to give her a long, dramatic weave, and she did a lingerie shoot with her new long, flowing locks. But the real story was the fact that Fatima tends to write checks with her mouth that her......

Bobby Brown, we love you, but this week marked the debut of the new "America's Next Top Model" cycle, and we must lead with that. Tyra and the J-Boys (Miss J. and Jay) put the aspiring models through a charm school of sorts, in which they wore uniforms and took class photos. Kimberly, a bank teller from Worcester, was cute in a clean-cut, ditzy cheerleader way. She made it to the next round, and Bostonist......

In a city packed with top colleges and brilliant thinkers, the word "nerd" is bound to strike a nerve. "Nerd" and "Geek" are commonly considered insults, but many Bostonians have shrugged off the label and are either enjoying success or are on their way to success in scholarly pursuits. So-called nerds live here in a fairly safe haven. But sometimes, nerd contempt bubbles up. Witness the anger against MIT student Star Simpson, who walked into......

Apologies for the lateness of this one. --New skinny font at T stops. And someone who works for the MBTA didn't look up the street names before sending the sign text to the printer. Gah! [b0st0n LiveJournal--with pictures] --The South End Is Over chimes in on the Globe's recent piece on gentrification and sends a crystal-clear message to anyone who bitches about the homeless in the South End: "As I have mentioned on this blog......

Once upon a time, there was a skinny young man who lacked muscle tone yet who had big NFL dreams. Yet he was pale and pasty, more of a candidate for water boy than for poster boy. If he hit the combine a few years later, he might have been funneled over to a casting call for "Beauty and the Geek" instead. However, someone at the 2000 Scouting Combine saw an ambitious glimmer in his......

Now that David, the Somerville LARPer, took the grand prize in Beauty and the Geek, we are focusing our attentions on Denise, the martial-arts aficionado with the heroic hair. Denise has hung on throughout several rough rounds of Survivor:China. This week, Denise caught a break since the reward challenge involved the presence of family members. The producers saved Denise's husband for last--for good reason. He is a big, burly dude who looks like he would......

--The banner brawl continues. The Highway Department decided that the banners declaring support for the troops that hang over the roadways pose a potential road hazard. That decision poses a potential PR nightmare, and Governor Deval Patrick has put it on hold. [Boston Globe] --Corinne Stephen, 26, was sentenced to 8 to 12 years for the involuntary manslaughter of her foster child, 4-year-old Dontel Jeffers. [DA's Office, background] --A longshoreman fessed up to putting......

Update: Joan just gave us a heads-up in the comments section that Jen, David, and Nicole will be at Felt tonight to watch the finale. Beauty & the Geek will end tonight with a decision between two teams, each with a Massachusetts resident. Will the golden-voiced Nicole and her meatheaded Beauty Sam win? Or will LARPer David, who already has a dating site and a big local fan base, and the squeaky-voiced Jasmine triumph?......

--Ah, Beauty & the Geek, how do we love thee? This week, the show threw a twist into the proceedings and allowed the nation to vote for either Somerville LARPer Dave & Jasmine or Tufts grad student Nicole & Sam. How could Bostonist possibly decide between the two locals? As an added bonus, the show sent each of the finalists back to their hometowns so they could show their respective friends how much they've changed.......

Beauty and the Geek: For the next-to-last episode, the teams traveled to wine country for an "I Love Lucy" challenge. They had to pick grapes, stomp them, and bottle grape juice--while tied to each other. Despite the disturbing sight of Big Dave and Little Jasmine hunkered over each other while stomping grapes, the pair won the challenge, prepared three bottles of grape juice laced with Eau de Foot, and guaranteed themselves a spot in the......

Beauty and the Geek: This week, the geeks pick up flair bartending skills, while the beauties attempt to learn zoology, which is a thinly veiled ruse to give the beauties a chance to scream at animals. Yet again, Sam, the male beauty and Tufts Nicole's partner, dominated the competition, and Jasmine, David the Somerville LARPer's partner, freaked out at holding the icky animals. To make Jasmine feel better after bungling the beauty challenge, David made......

A kind tipster sent along an e-mail announcing a special website devoted to David, the Somerville LARPer who is currently competing on "Beauty and the Geek." Some of David's college friends have decided to give their friend a boost and find him a date. They have built the site in his honor, and they list all kinds of reasons why a woman want to meet him in person. If you are interested in a geek......

Beauty and the Geek: Somerville LARPer Dave surprised everyone this week by revealing his inner dancer on the show's trip to Mexico. Fueled by a lump of salt and some booze from a botched tequila shot, he did a round-off back handspring. His partner, Jasmine, was so impressed that she gave him a kiss. The look on Dave's face was priceless. Getting that kind of attention from a woman, no matter how platonic, made it......

Bostonist always knew that The Hub offered prime casting choices for the CW's Beauty & the Geek. This season features three local geeks and one local beauty. Naturally, the casting crew headed to Boston to find new talent for the next cycle. Based on what Bostonist saw at The Estate on Saturday afternoon, the casting team couldn't have been disappointed. Despite miserable, dank weather, plenty of beauties and geeks arrived for group interviews. Two MIT......

Survivor: China: This week marked the all-important tribal merger, not to mention heaps of shenanigans involving the Immunity Idol. Yet Denise, our beloved Denise, barely spoke. What is with all this drama drama drama and no Denise? Is this a subtle hint that she may have won the whole thing? Since no one is letting Denise talk, we decided to check out her bio over at the official Survivor: China site. She's a badass. She......

This was a rough week, as we were faced with some hard calls regarding our shows, the World Series, and TiVo limitations. TiVo did not deliver America's Next Top Model, so this week's discussion is somewhat abbreviated. --Beauty and the Geek: The geeks have a fantasy handed to them on a platter--turning their beauties into super-heroines for the Comic-Con convention in San Diego. The geeks are dizzy with the possibilities, especially Northeastern Jen's partner, William.......

Beauty and the Geek Auditions Boston Casting 129 Braintree Street, Allston Saturday, October 27, 10:00 am-2:00 pm Thursday, November 1, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm and The Estate 1 Boylston Place, Boston Saturday, November 3, 2:00 pm-9:00 pm More info Do you have it in you to be the next LARPer or cigar model on the CW's "Beauty and the Geek," which we've been faithfully tracking this season? Do you think you are geeky enough or pretty......

--Beauty and the Geek: Bostonist is officially addicted to "Beauty and the Geek" since Massachusetts is so well represented, especially during the makeover episode. Our geeks looked dazzling after some hair stylists and waxers got their mitts on them. Poor Dave the Somerville LARPer had to go through a painful chest-waxing, but the results were worth it. Nicole the Tufts Musicologist emerged with a nice haircut that gave her a surprisingly gothy vibe. And John......

Beauty and the Geek: Our locals held on for another week. Tufts girl geek Nicole learned why bunk beds suck. She sleeps on the bottom bunk while her beauty male partner, Sam, enjoys the top bunk. Sam took another beauty, Rebecca, into his bed and started getting it on. An outraged Nicole began to cry, not because she harbored any attraction to Sam, but because it is rude and an invasion of private space......

--Beauty and the Geek: John, the MIT student Bostonist thinks is most likely to get some, received a "booty dance" from one of the beauties and admitted, "I didn’t know where to look." Romance was also on the minds of the other local contestants. Girl geek Nicole admitted that she had a crush on one of the boy geeks. Somerville LARPer Dave said of her revelation in his confessional, "I have to admit, my curiosity......

Honest-to-goodness Nobel Laureates, along with a few non-Laureates, indulged their silly sides on Thursday night when Harvard University hosted the 2007 Ig Nobels ceremony. The Annals of Improbable Research magazine (that sounds like something Dave Eggers would have thought up) grants the "Ig Nobels" for achievements in "unusual and imaginative scientific discovery." Here's a list of this year's winners in all the Ig Nobel fields from the Guardian UK: Medicine: Brian Witcombe of Gloucester and......